Golden slumbers fill your eyes. If only falling asleep was as easy as listening to The Beatles. For some it is, for others not so much. Whatever your relationship to slumber is, for one week the National Sleep Foundation is asking that we contemplate our relationship with sleep, in the hope that it can lead to an improvement in our overall well-being. It's called National Sleep Awareness Week, and we're in the midst of it right now.
Unsurprisingly the RUSSH team also love sleep (you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't), and so over the years we've established our own bedtime rituals that ensure we're getting the best night's sleep possible. But before we get into them, we thought it prudent to answer a few of your other questions on National Sleep Awareness Week, from what exactly it is to how we can foster healthy sleep hygiene. Find them, below.
When is World Sleep Day?
World Sleep Day takes place on the Friday of National Sleep Awareness Week. That means it falls on March 18 this year.
Why is sleep is so important?
RUSSH editors' bedtime rituals
Ella O’Keeffe
Fashion & Brand Features Editor
My sleep routine is disjointed on even the most peaceful of evenings because of the light up screen I am constantly hate-clutching. My pre-sleep ritual only begins once I physically get into bed, where I swallow a handful of supplements (Zinc, Quercetin, Liposomal C & D) because taking them at night is the only way I’ve been able to stick to a consistent routine. Then, in between doing Wordle, Heardle, and scrolling TikTok for many more minutes than I ever plan, I rub Venustus God Bless balm on my chest, which is a Lavender balm. Lavender is a core scent memory for me. As a child my mom used to drop Lavender essential oil in our nightly bath to get us ready to wind down, so it always sets me up for a comforting moment. Then, a silk sleep mask goes on (to block out the street light directly outside my bedroom window) and moments later I am out.
Nina Miyashita
Brand & Campaign Coordinator
As a habitual night-owl, my bedtime ritual starts later than it should. But there are key steps I have to take, no matter how tired, to ensure a well rested sleep. First, I shower, and complete my evening skincare routine - a Sukin Clearing Facial Wash, Evelom Rescue Toner, Aesop Exalted Eye Serum, and Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Cream. Sometimes a leave-in hair revitalising spray, and occasionally, if I have the time, a face mask to precede all those steps after a particularly gritty day. I’m a big dreamer - literally. So avoiding overstimulation before I sleep keeps the intense dreams at bay. I listen to gentle music for a few minutes, either on my phone whilst trying (hard) not to look at it, or on my AUX radio or record player. I give my dog a big cuddle, before she goes back to her own bed. I spray a sleeping mist on my pillow and put on a silk sleep mask, and I tell any stress or anxiety that it can wait until tomorrow, because now it’s time to rest.
Lucienne Bambridge
Brand Manager
If we’re talking realistically, my sleep ritual is probably to curl up with some Messina and a good binge watch (at the moment that’s Desperate Housewives), watch way too many episodes, ignore my bedtime alarm and monotonously scroll through TikTok until my phone runs out of battery. On an ideal night (which pretty much only ends up being Sundays), I’ll switch off the TV at 8, won’t hit ignore when my phone switches to ‘downtime’ (a feature I only recently discovers suspends your phone usage at select times) and prep myself a nice warm cup of moon mylk latte (ashwaganda, melatonin, cacao and honey with almond milk). Then it’s a dry brush, a hot shower with This Work’s Deep Sleep Shower Gel, a bit of gua sha and 1 hour reading in bed. For a really zen eve, I’ll pop on a sound bath from the AloMoves app, or head out for an infra red sauna - nothing makes me sleep better than a good sauna sesh.
Jasmine Pirovic
Digital Writer
Sleep has never been a problem for me. I can conk out on demand. The problem lies instead with a desire to sleep. Having spent the previous five years doing shift work, midnight reads more like 8pm and so I find it hard to surrender to the fact that I should be in bed before 10pm. Naturally the only person losing out as a result of this way of thinking is me at 7am the next morning, so I’ve had to bait myself to bed with a few routines. The first is exercise, whether it’s a walk or yoga, I won’t sleep unless I think I’ve “done” enough, so this is essential. The next thing is I need to be freshly showered, moisturised within an inch of my life (add in some gua sha and This Works Deep Pillow Spray) and I’m ready to read for however long as I can while my eyes remain open. Also, this has reminded me that I need to buy a new pillow.
Image: Pinterest
